Email:
arnold@arnold4mayor.ca

DR. ARNOLD NEUFELDT-FAST

Vision and Platform:

My name is Dr. Arnold Neufeldt-Fast, a candidate for Mayor of Whitchurch-Stouffville. The town's principal role is to provide the conditions for residents—youth, young families, entrepreneurs, and seniors—to fulfill their creative potential.

I have a vision to become the most walkable, bikeable small town in Ontario—extended along the whole length of Main Street—with great transit. Under my leadership, the arts, library, and heritage will again become top municipal priorities, and we will be known for our environmental leadership. And to attract and keep knowledge-based industry, I will be a champion for a fibre-optic strategy (as well as quality of life).

This can't happen without fresh ideas and priorities. Our library has been in crisis for years with the lowest funding (per head) in the province for towns our size. There is no articulated arts and culture strategy or advisory committee or appropriate support. These areas, including heritage and transit, have withered even as we've tried to attract knowledge-based, creative-class industry. Council did not make the connection, and now we have a net loss of 60 businesses since 2009, and a tax-base that is 88.4% residential—amongst the highest/worst in the province. Most recently, council turned down the invitation to tell York University why our town might be a great location for a smaller satellite campus.

We simply can't afford to experience that kind of experience for another four years. In each of these areas, I will bring a different vision and strategy as mayor to build a vibrant, complete community.

Experience and Education

I have fourteen years of administrative leadership experience in the post-secondary sector: 2006-present, Associate Academic Dean, Director of Master Program (MTS), Tyndale University College and Seminary; 2000-2006, Postgraduate Program Administrator, Bienenberg Seminary, Switzerland/ Univ of Wales, UK. My responsibilities include hiring, faculty/staff evaluation, program budgeting, planning and evaluation. I bring twenty years of board, council, commission, task force, and committee experience, locally, nationally and internationally (e.g., currently interim chair of a commission of the Canadian Council of Churches). I also taught high school, and love the vision of youth.

My immigrant father was a carpenter and I spent most summers learning with a hammer on construction sites. I have an earned doctoral degree (Ph.D., St. Michael's College, at the Univ. of Toronto) for which I received the Governor General's Gold Medal, 1996; an M.A. (Philosophy), B.A. (Germanic Studies), and B.Th. (theology). I am a Fellow of the Centre for Barth Studies at Princeton.

I give my "ALL" to everything I do.

Community Involvement

I am a trusted local leader, who became spokesperson for descendants of the town's earliest settlers during our War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration. As a local community organizer, I brought a 400-signature Library Funding Petition to Council in 2011. In the same year I was the co-convenor for the "Stouffville All-Candidates Meeting for Federal Riding of Oak-Ridges-Markham," sponsored by the Stouffville Ministerial. I am the co-founder/co-convenor of the Annual Stouffville Peace Festival / Festival of Music and Peace.

I have been an effective advocate not only for the library, but also for transit, affordable housing, walkability, and heritage preservation—and opponent of a Pickering international airport with flight approaches over our town. I am chair for community engagement (CORT) at Community Mennonite Church Stouffville and CMC's "Corn Booth Coordinator" at the Stouffville Strawberry Festival.

I have been a close follower of municipal politics, a frequent presenter at Council meetings, as well as a regular contributor to the Sun-Tribune, Free Press, and Stouffville Connects on municipal and regional issues.

I am an experienced and trusted leader with fresh vision. I would be honoured to receive your support.

Arnold Neufeldt-Fast, PhD

Candidate for Mayor, Town Whitchurch-Stouffville

Email: arnold@arnold4mayor.ca

Webpage: www.arnold4mayor.ca

Facebook: arnold4mayor

Twitter: @neufast

Instagram: @neufast

Mobile: 647-298-4524